Grandma's sweet 96th

On Sunday we celebrated my Great-Grandmother's 96th birthday. For the last several years we have met with many extended family members to celebrate every September, and each year someone has noted this will probably be Grandma's last year with us. Well, I didn't hear that once this year - but something was different. Over the past few years her health has deteriorated, and she has talked a lot about my Grandpa who died over 20 years ago. My gut feeling says this was probably the last birthday we are celebrating for her, but my guts have been wrong before.

Some memories I have of my Great-Grandma are.... She had this room off her kitchen that had a sliding glass door, we'd go in there and play on the exercise bike. There was another room off that room and I was always afraid of it... I'm still not sure why. As a kid I remember Grandma always having treats in a little candy dish - lemon heads specifically. I didn't like them, but I always took them. (that sounds like me...) When I was in high school a group of us needed to interview someone who was alive in the 1930's. We picked her - I remember some of the stories she told about growing up, their first TV, dancing at the Elite Hall, and walking everywhere. The first time I took Mike over to meet her she had him read out of the missionary handbook and started asking him questions. I was embarrassed, but he didn't mind. Grandma never missed a chance to share her testimony with her grandchildren.

Here are some pictures....



Me and Max....

Maggie & Libby

Ryan & Mary

My mom -

Nicole & Shuan

Cassie & Libby

Great-Great Grandma Edna & Grace

Kenadi

Max

Mike & I

Max my cheese

Tyler Family

Little things...

1st - you can only say stay out of the water so many times
2nd - what would I give to be so carefree? That little tiny sprinkler made these two kiddos laugh for 1/2 hour!

Joy vs Happy

Warning - this post is all over the place...

So, in an attempt to be a little thought provoking, I would like to discuss joy today. For those of you who did not have the chance to attend the Temple dedication broadcast yesterday there was a talk on joy and being joyful.

Afterwards Mike and I started talking and he says they say the same things over and over. I told him that's because we need to hear the same things over and over and when we start to understand and practice them then we can learn new things. So, I thought to myself "Am I joyful? Certainly there are things that bring me joy. But over all, am I joyful?"

I am happy, but don't think of myself as joyful. So I wondered what is the difference, why do I draw the line in my mind. So I googled and found the following definitions in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.

Joy
- the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires : delight
- a state of happiness or felicity : bliss
- a source or cause of delight

Happy
- notably fitting, effective, or well adapted : felicitous
- enjoying or characterized by well-being and contentment
- expressing, reflecting, or suggestive of happiness

I know that I fit happy. Characterized by well-being and contentment, well adapted. I believe those things do describe me. I'm happy with my family, I'm happy with my job. But, I have buts. "But, I could be a better mom. But, I could provide for my family better. But, I could be a better friend. But, I wish...."

I guess the reason I don't consider myself joyful is because I always seem to want and worry. To me, a truly joyful person may not be completely carefree - but overall they are satisfied. And I don't think joyful people have buts. But, no where in the dictionary does Joyful say satisfied. So why do I think this?

Don't get me wrong - I love my family, I'm not saying that I'm sad and down on myself at all.
Actually, the part of my favorite parts of the dedication was when they said - just like we want our children to be full of joy, Heavenly Father wants us to be full of joy. Preparing and going to the temple helps us have joy.

So - are you happy, or are you joyful and is there a difference?

Vacation Pics!

We have had so much fun this past week. Every August Mike's family spends a week up in Bear Lake - the kids had a ton of fun this year (not to mention that Mike and I also loved it!). Grace has been asking Grandpa Todd when he's going to take up on the boat for months now - and she was not disappointed. She loved it - he tried to let her steer for a while but she was more interested in sitting in the passenger seat, however her good buddy Mr. Max loved to drive. He was so stinkin cute about it - every time we got on he walked over and climbed up in the seat, when Todd would try to steer he would grunt and push his hand away, the look on his face is priceless!



What would Bear Lake be without a little mini-golf? Mike and me, Tylor and Travis, Grace being obstinate, aunt Caya and Grace, and Grace's hair. (Yes, I did her hair, all by myself! And that is 3 elastics!)

Grace does not like sand. When we go to the park she spends most of the time picking the sand or wood chips out of her shoes. Last year she cried and cried so I wondered how this year would go. It took her a few minutes to warm up to the idea of walking in sand, but soon she was all over it. She played, waded in the water and then Grandpa took her out for a jet ski "water car" ride. She totally loved it!

I wasn't worried about Max liking the sand, he's all boy - He just sat in the sand/rocks/water on the beach for hours. He played with sticks while we attempted to build a beautiful sand castle (mud hill). He let Mike bury his legs and I think he really would have stayed there all day.

Of course we had several hours to spend at the park. Grace would not let me get a picture, I asked her to look at the camera and she shouted "I don't wannta mom!" So it became a big game to get her looking at the camera, when I finally got one after 3 days I laughed and teased her. So what does she do? Looks straight in the camera and says "Cheese!" Like it was her idea - that's my girl! Max loved the slides and climbing up the stairs - he's so much more brave than his sister.

These are just some of my favorite randoms from the week - My niece Daisy, she's so little and sweet, aunt Caya playing with Max, Grace pretending hair life jacket is her tail and dancing on the deck, the chipmunk face, Tylor and Daisy and Grace on the "butt" with grandma's hat.



This was all of the grand kids ((Travis, Tylor, Daisy, Grace and Max)) up at Bear Lake last year - notice how they all sit still and sort of face the camera?

To one year later... it's amazing how much changes in a year! I ran out of space on my memory card after this last picture, or I would have tried harder... Hopefully Aunt Beth got some good ones!

I got a wild hair towards the end of the week that I didn't want my vacation to end. So Mike's family was leaving Friday night/Saturday morning so Mike and I decided to head to Wyoming and visit my friend Stacy. I didn't give her much notice - (So thanks for letting us crash :) We had so much fun. My kids loved it (and trashed her house...) Grace found a friend who would let her dress up and play with strollers and babies. Max loved the boys and the puppies. (We'll try and forget that he didn't want to go to sleep that night..) This picture is Grace and Ally playing in the kitchen under the bar stools... Grace followed Ally everywhere!

Sadly vacations have to end. We have to come home, clean out the car, unpack and go back to work. Wouldn't it be nice to just vacation everyday?

one word

VACATION!

Lulu and her friend Tricker

This may go down as my favorite picture of Grace ever.... she looks so sweet and innocent!

Don't be fooled though.. this was about 10 minutes before the worst sacrament ever.... she actually pulled her skirt down, and the panties came with. She didn't want to sit through "another STUPID prayer".

Max - looks pretty sweet to - but he was not innocent either... You know that family that no one wants to sit in the bench afterwards? Max totally demolished a piece of bread in 2 seconds....

Had to post this one... just for record of the cute skirt!

I regularly find Max sitting in my pantry, mixing what ever he can get his hands on. Today he's cooking goldfish crackers. I always have to wash my spoons, pots and bowls before I can use them.... Maybe he will be a magnificent chef one day!

Lulu and her friend Tricker. Grace has renamed herself puppy Lulu and started introducing Max as her friend Tricker. She is so creative. The other day she came to me and said, I cooked Max. I came into their bedroom and he was stuck in her kitchen, she took the shelf out of the pretend stove and Max was shoved in there - he must have been a willing participant up to some point because he didn't cry getting in there - but he was mad he couldn't get out!

Pics from the Zoo

Grace is fascinated by the elephants. I know I've said it before, but she really would just sit there ALL day and watch them.

I wish I was Blogger Smart and could make this picture bigger, you'll have to click on it to see all my cute little nieces and nephews. I can't believe Maggie will be 8 this year!

These were taken inside the Madagascar exhibit and this was Max's favorite. The Fosa (cats) game right by the window and he loved it - he was also happy just to be out of the stroller or wagon....